


Redamancy

by Its_Ours_And_Its_Everything



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, And I mean Really Slow Burn, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Multi, Slow Burn, at least that's what those dorks think, unrequired pining, we all know they're dense at times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-23 08:36:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20005417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_Ours_And_Its_Everything/pseuds/Its_Ours_And_Its_Everything
Summary: Five times Jaime and Brienne played Scrabble.A story about a board game that sparked two people to go from begrudging enemies to friends to lovers.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!! I'm back with another, hopefully, interesting braime AU. I've been playing lots of board game with friends lately lmao so this somehow found it's way into my subconscious.  
> A little bit of context on the ages of characters: Brienne, Sansa, Podrick and Margaery are in their 2nd year(sophomores) getting their Bachelor's degrees. While Arya is a freshman.  
> Gendry is 3rd year(also getting Bachelor's.) Tyrion is a senior, so 4th year.  
> While Jaime is in his first year of Master's(it makes him older than Brienne by a few years.) While Bronn, well he's just Bronn he's too good for school lol

**The first time Jaime and Brienne played scrabble**

Brienne couldn't believe her luck! For once in her life she decided to go with the flow and be carefree and _this_ happened. As a natural born control freak letting go was incredibly hard for Brienne, so when things backfired she knew she shouldn't have bothered anyway. She spent her whole life being the 'responsible one', the 'mom friend' and Brienne didn't mind one bit, she relished being in control of every little detail, so naturally trying to 'let go' as Margaery put it was a challenge. And once she put effort in trying? Well...it didn't end well.

_"Come on, Brienne, live a little it's your sophomore year in college. Throw caution to the wind, be spontaneous." Margaery said. "It will be fun." She said._

So when Sansa approached her with an invitation to a rock band concert, her boyfriend Theon had joined, a few hours outside their King's Landing University campus Brienne jumped at the opportunity, if only to prove Margaery she could be spontaneous and fun. And where did that spontaneity get her, one might ask? Stranded on the side of the road with a broken car in the company of _Jaime Lannister_ no less. She cursed herself a hundred times since the car broke down for being goaded into accepting Lannister's offer of a free ride. At the time it seemed quite logical they all were going to the same event. By 'they' she meant her tight-knit group of friends which consisted of Sansa, Gendry, Podrick and Arya. However, the tight-knit group expanded in the 1st year of college when Brienne met Margaery and she in return introduced them to the Lannister brothers and Bronn. 2 out of 3 gave Brienne migraines. Anyone want to take a guess? She found Tyrion quite amusing, funny and incredibly witty. Brienne took a liking to him almost immediately. Maybe it was the fact he never, not once, acknowledged what Brienne was most sensitive about—her appearance. He understood her more than anyone, really. Him having to endure numerous jokes about his height and condition since as long as he could remember. But Tyrion had something Brienne never had while growing up—someone to stand up for her. Jaime's love for his younger brother and fierceness to protect him was his only saving grace. Most of the times he was an obnoxious prick who made fun at her expense. She didn't even want to think about Bronn 'the manwhore' Blackwater who had no filter whatsoever. But where Tyrion went so did his brother and best friend. So she learned to accommodate or better yet ignore his poor choice of friends. 

Back to the problem at hand the only reason Brienne took Jaime up on his offer was because everyone had already left while Jaime and Brienne were both studying for their upcoming finals until the last possible minute. Well, _she_ was studying, Mr. 'I don't need to study, I'll just wing it' was cramming. How he got his Bachelor's degree with such attitude Brienne could never understand. The concert was supposed to be a reprieve from all the schoolwork for everyone, even though Brienne couldn't imagine one could relax while listening to rock music. Even so she made the biggest self-sacrifice (as she kept telling Sansa and Margaery) and decided to share a ride with the most annoying person she knew. 

In no way did Brienne and Jaime consider each other to be on friendly terms, but they did establish a certain alliance when it came to taking care of their little group. They managed to maintain a certain sense of civility when it came to their interactions. A smug smirk here, an eye roll there, sharp as a blade insults when they thought no one was listening still managed to disrupt their fragile piece from time to time, but overall they seemed to be toning down their dislike of each other for their friends sake. Also, Brienne would never admit it, but she was quite dependent on Jaime when it came to being the responsible ones of the group. Might sound strange because 'responsible' wasn't the adjective Brienne would use to describe him. Jaime Lannister was lazy, never planned for anything, things just seemed to fall into place for him while Brienne had to put effort in and actually work for it. They couldn't have been more opposite even if they tried. But she knew she could depend on him always being there if she needed him. Whether she was holding Margaery's hair as she was throwing up or trying to chase down an almost naked Sansa who from time to time when drunk decided she wanted to explore the magical world and run free with the nymphs and fairies of the forest. He was always there helping to pick up the pieces of whatever wild night their friends had. Never loosing himself in the alcohol too much, so he could always help her do damage control. And with their friends? There was _always_ damage control. Brienne shuddered while remembering the incident where the guys convinced poor Podrick to run through the campus buck ass naked which resulted in 3 weeks of suspension. _Or_ that one time Margaery got so depressed one of the male faculty members didn't want to have sex with her she drank herself stupid and exclaimed in a public school assembly she was, and Brienne was quoting, 'switching teams'. _Or_ that time when Arya almost gouged Gendry's eyes out with Margaery's newly purchased louboutin heel because they were having a fight. 

I mean, you get the picture. Her friends were crazy, the good kind of crazy, but still.

So, when Jaime offered her a ride a nagging voice at the back of her head(which sounded very much like Margaery) told her to just go with it. Besides 3 hours in a car with devil incarnate couldn't be that bad or that's what Brienne thought. They ended up bickering over every little detail. From the music choices to the level of heating in the car. Brienne begrudgingly respected Jaime, but it didn't mean she _had_ to like him especially when his car managed to break down in the middle of nowhere.

So now she was standing over a middle aged man who had 'Davos' scribbled on his greasy shirt and was inspecting Jaime's wreck of a car. She kept mumbling how she should have taken the buss and that mixing with the likes of Jaime Lannister only brought trouble and Jaime seemed like he was on the verge of wringing Brienne's neck.

"Well, folks, I can't fix it on the spot, but we can tow it to my garage and tomorrow I might find the right part that the car needs to be changed."

"Tomorrow?? We have to be at the concert in less than an hour." Brienne groaned.

"Oh, I'm afraid you won't make it Miss. This town is very small, a few people have their own cars and they definitely won't be in the mood to share." The man said as he scratched his silver-grey hair.

"Great just great."

"Calm down, Wench. We'll find a motel to stay in overnight and call the guys to make sure they don't worry." The bane of Brienne's existence rolled his eyes before dialing his phone and wandering off leaving her alone with Davos.

**~*~*~*~*~**

An hour later they were standing in a little one bed motel room because apparently in this ghost town they didn't have enough rooms to house out of town guests. Sansa and the rest of their friends assured that the concert won't be the same without them, but didn't show much empathy to their situation which Brienne found to be outrageous. She wasn't even going to acknowledge their comments about finally 'getting some' with the golden lion of Casterly Rock as Jaime was dubbed by the ladies.

"What are we supposed to do in this place? There's no wifi or anything. I should've brought my text books." Brienne muttered before unceremoniously dropping onto her side of the bed like a sack of potatoes. It was only half past 10. All their friends were enjoying the show and she was stuck here with Jaime Lannister. By the seven, she knew the gods had it out for her. There was no other explanation.

"Look at that." Jaime exclaimed with a cheeky grin as he opened one of the drawers of the bedside table.

When she glanced his way she saw Jaime was holding a dusty box. "Scrabble, really?"

"Beats listening to you whine all night, Wench." Jaime replied before joining her on the other side of the bed.

"My name is _Brienne!!_ and excuse me, if I imagined my night going down a little differently." A scoff left her plump lips which were curled in distaste.

"Ah, you mean you didn't plan to have your way with me in a motel room, Wench? Now I'm offended." Jaime seemed to live for moments he could annoy her.

She only rolled her sapphire blue eyes. Brienne was long used to his sexual innuendos. Why he kept making them to _her_ she had no idea, probably because he wanted to get under her skin. "Open the box, Lannister. Lets play some scrabble and do keep in mind that I have never lost a game."

She wasn't one to brag, but when it came to any kind of board games there was no competition. Well, in the Stark household at least. She had been holding the best score between Bran and Arya for years.

"Well, I'm not bad at it either." Jaime replied vaguely, trying to play coy.

"Okay, you're either really good or really bad at it." She pointed out.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I know you." Brienne stated matter of factly before she could stop herself and it scared the living daylights out of her.

Yes, she had come to notice these little quirks of his. Like how she knew Jaime's smile was genuine if his dimples were showing, or how she knew he liked his coffee scorching hot and with loads of sugar, or how he would get a little frown line between his eyebrows whenever someone brought up his father, or how his emerald eyes would gleam every time she said something rude to him. Brienne told herself that knowing these little things that made up Jaime meant nothing more than her being great at observing people.

**~*~*~*~*~**

They spent the next few hours playing and bickering about their choice of words as they put it down on the board.

"Glyceraldehyde, really?" Jaime exclaimed with an incredulous laugh. He seemed to do a lot of that since they started playing.

Brienne was wearing a smug look on her face. "With the C on the double letter it's 33 points plus the triple word score gets me 96 points."

She had to admit Jaime was keeping up with her far better than any of the Starks. He was behind her by 5 points, but Brienne wasn't worried she knew she had it in the bag. It was a bit after midnight and they decided to wrap it up with one last word. She was sure Jaime couldn't top her chemistry knowledge and she was ready to gloat in his face any second.

"Goofball. You can put down 104 points for me." Jaime pointed out with a stupid grin as he put down the letters on the board.

"What??!"

"Thanks for the G I've been waiting for it. 18 points times a triple word score plus the 50 point bingo bonus." He sent a smug, little wink her way.

Brienne cleared her throat. "Well, a 104 points. Good for you. Congratulations it's probably the first time you won something." She bit out in a clipped tone since she couldn't believe she lost and to _Jaime Lannister_ of all people.

"I like this game." Jaime stated before dazzling her with one of his smiles.

All Brienne managed to do was roll her eyes and huff in protest. She, in fact, did _not_ like this game. She tried blocking out all the thoughts that wanted to consume her every time he sent a smile her way. Brienne could admit that Jaime was good looking. It was just plain facts. The guy had a nice face, and nice abs from what she's seen in the gym and his arms looked really good while he was flexing... _obviously_ it didn't mean she _liked_ him or anything. He was lovely to look at, that's all.

"Listen, Wench, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but...you can't be comfortable in that tight getup." Jaime cleared his throat as his gaze followed the length of her body, taking his time to look at her bare legs.

Brienne couldn't hide the blush that crept over her face even if she tried. "I'm fine." She insisted.

Truth to be told she wasn't exactly dressed for a stay at home night. The tight blue skirt Margaery had insisted she wear kept riding up her legs. If you asked Brienne it was definitely not her size. It was clearly too short and the white tube top was too tight in certain areas even though she wasn't packing much. Thank the gods the jacket she was wearing helped to hide the fact she had no boobs whatsoever. This wasn't Brienne's usual take on wardrobe, but Margaery's comments about spontaneity and trying something new finally wore her down. 

Jaime was staring at her figure for a good few minutes and it made Brienne uncomfortable. She didn't need to hear how out of place she looked in clothes like that. Or in anything that wasn't a hoodie. In her defense she _was_ supposed to be going to a concert. It wasn't her fault she got stuck in a musty motel room.

He caught Brienne staring at him with puzzlement and cleared his throat. "Listen, I grabbed my overnight bag before that guy towed the car." Jaime rose from the bed and produced a pair of pajama bottoms and a cotton t-shirt.

Brienne stayed silent inspecting Jaime as he moved closer to the bed. She wasn't really sure what to do. For some magical reason her palms were starting to sweat and she probably looked like a ripe tomato.

"Top or bottom?" He asked with a slight curl of his lips.

"Really?"

"Just kidding, Wench." Jaime rolled his eyes as he threw the shirt Brienne's way and disappeared into the bathroom.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Once he was out of the bathroom Brienne got quite a view of his chiseled abs that probably made a lot of girls _and_ boys on campus drool. Not that she cared, really. She quickly grabbed the shirt which was Lannister red, of course, and went straight to the bathroom avoiding Jaime's heated gaze.

Brienne did quick work of getting out of the constricting clothing, not that it really could be called that. She swore the top was so tight it left marks on her skin. She quickly pulled the t-shirt over her head and was surrounded by strangely familiar scent. The smell of sandalwood, lemon and soap invaded her nostrils and Brienne couldn't help but inhale. She liked the way it smelled. It was just so _him_. She came across her reflection in the dimly lit bathroom mirror and cursed herself. What was she doing sniffing a guy's she couldn't stand clothes? That was just borderline creepy. She made sure to take extra time in the bathroom in the hopes of finding him already passed out and because she wanted her traitorous blush to subside. And she was right as always because when she entered the dark room Brienne noticed Jaime's even and deep breaths in the moonlight. She quickly slid behind the covers and rolled all the way to the edge of the bed putting as much distance between her and the Lannister as possible. Not that it helped, Brienne could still feel the warmth of his body and slowly it soothed her into slumber.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Brienne woke up from the sunlight that was peeking through the blinds. Of course, she was always an early riser so this morning wouldn't have been different except for the warm body that she was tangled with. She really wasn't on her side of the bed anymore. Hell, she wasn't even _on_ the bed. Half of her body was sprawled across Jaime's chest. Their legs were tangled together under the comforter. One of his arms was around Brienne's waist like a band of steel. Her hand was on his stomach. Brienne could feel his heart beating under her cheek, steady and strong.

She laid there, her breath in her throat. There was something intimate about being wrapped around one another in a bed. Like lovers.

A sweet, hot fire washed over her skin, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Every inch of her was hyper-aware of Jaime. Of how her large body fit against his, the way his thighs were pressed against hers, the hardness of his stomach under her hand. Brienne's hormones kicked in with the power of a dropkick to the stomach. Heated lightning zipped through her veins. For a moment, she pretended that they actually liked each other. 

And then Jaime shifted and rolled. Brienne was on her back, and he was still on the move. His face burrowed into the space between her neck and shoulder, nuzzling. By the seven... Warm breath danced over her skin, sending shivers down the entire length of her body. His arm was heavy against Brienne's stomach, his leg between hers, pushing up and up. Scorched air fled Brienne's lungs. She could've woken him up but for some reason she didn't. The thrill of him touching her was far stronger than anything else. Jaime's hand was on the edge of the borrowed shirt, his long fingers on the strip of exposed flesh between the hem of the shirt and the band of her underwear. His hand inched up under the shirt, across Brienne's stomach, where it dipped slightly. Her pulse went into cardiac territory. The tips of his fingers brushed her ribs. Jaime's body moved, his knee pressed against her.  
  
Brienne gasped.  
  
Jaime stilled. 

No one moved. 

The clock on the wall ticked.  
  
Jaime lifted his head. Eyes like pools of liquid grass stared at Brienne in confusion. They quickly cleared, though, turning sharp within seconds.  
  
"Good morning?" Brienne squeaked. 

This. Was. So. Mortifying.  
  
Using his powerful arms, Jaime lifted himself up. His eyes never leaving Brienne's. He seemed to drag in a deep breath. Brienne wasn't sure if he let it out. Something passed between them, unspoken and heavy. His eyes narrowed slightly. Brienne had the funny feeling that he was sizing up the situation and somehow she was to blame for his sleepy —albeit really, really nice—fondling.  
  
Like any of this was _her_ fault.

"I should call Davos." He muttered. Brienne could only manage to nod, her throat was dry and her breath caught in her throat when her gaze lingered on the bulge bellow his waist. 

It was morning. It was fine. She didn't do that. It was basic anatomy. He could never see her that way.

Before she could even try to address the morning fondle the bathroom door opened and slammed shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this story seems promising.  
> I'd appreciate feedback. I thrive off kudos & comments :)  
> Small little note: Take notice of the title of the story.  
> Redamancy - (n) a love returned in full; the act of loving the one who loves you.  
> Just a small little tidbit to consider and look forward to chapter 4 because the antonym of this word is gonna be the catalyst to making Jaime and Brienne go from friends to more ;)  
> I'll stop spoiling the story now lol


	2. Chapter 2

**The second time Jaime and Brienne played scrabble**

Brienne's phone beeped and she put away the book she was reading just seconds ago. The screen lit up with a familiar name that made her smile. She quickly wiped the smile off her face and looked around like she expected to be caught by Sansa or Margaery even though neither one was home. It _was_ a Friday night after all. So, what if she smiled? It wasn't a crime. She and Jaime had become friends. She could smile all she wanted, it's what friends did. Brienne wasn't going to acknowledge that in the deepest and darkest parts of her psyche she knew she was falling for a guy who was out of her league and currently completely unavailable. Jaime had been seeing Pia for over 2 months now, but not like it bothered Brienne...She was happy for him...and yet. _And yet nothing_ she thought. Pia was the most energetic, free spirited person she had ever met. Even more than Margaery which was saying something. Still she was sweet as sugar and just as nice. So, she couldn't exactly be mad at her for dating her 'sort of' friend. She had no right to be jealous. And she _wasn't._ The feeling in the pit of her stomach whenever she saw them together was just a bad case of indigestion.

She continued to repeat the same mantra: _I'm his friend. He's my friend. We're just friends. Friends. Friends. Friends._ The sooner her heart got with the program the better. Her phone dinged for the second time, Brienne finally opened the messages.

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _Wench_ _, you up?_

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _Are you ignoring me? You know I haaaate that. I'm needy like that._

 **Wench:** _Gods, you're annoying. I'm up, why?_

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _Get your pretty butt down to my dorm. Tyrion and Bronn have left the building. I repeat they have left the building._

 **Wench:** _So?_

 **Jaime ' the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _It's a scrabble call ;)_

 **Wench:** _A what now_?!

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _A scrabble call, you know, like a booty call, but instead of having sex we play scrabble._

 **Wench:** _Are you serious?? It's almost midnight. Get your scrabble fetish fix somewhere else._

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _C'mon, Wench!! We are so_ good _at it. I'm on withdrawal since our wild_ _scrabble_ _night in the motel. You got me hooked._

 **Wench:** _*sigh* You're insufferable you know that, right?_

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _You wound me, Wench. Don't go breaking my heart now :P_

 **_Wench:_ ** _HA! As if you had one, Jaime :D_

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _Let me guess, you're scared I'll hand you your ass again. Yeah that's it._

 **Wecnh:** _Get over yourself, Lannister..._

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _Now now don't be a sore loser._

 **Wench:** _Jaime,_ _please -_- You got lucky I was off my game that night that's all._

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _I dare you to prove it, Wench ;)_

 **Wench:** _...I'm coming._

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _Not yet you're not :)_

_**Wench:** Gods, you're vile. Again how does Pia put up with you?_

**Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _The sex's just that good ._

 **Wench:** _Thanks for that mental imagine *barf*_

 **Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _Anyway, I picked up your favorite kind of cupcakes..._

Brienne muttered a profanity of curse words under her breath. He knew how to reel her in. Sweets were her kryptonite.

_**Wench:** Damn you. I'll be there in 20._

**Jaime 'the bane of my existence' Lannister:** _Thought so ;)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's quite short, but I promise the rest will be longer.  
> Kudos & comments are always welcome :)  
> See you guys next time!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soo...it turns out I'm a little liar lmao I was writing chapter 3 and then my ideas changed, so I had to split what was supposed to be only one chapter into two. I guess it's good news for those who are enjoying the story. You're getting a bonus chapter *runs to change the summary*  
> I had so much fun writing this and there's even gonna be a part from Jaime's POV. He's gonna be the softest dork AND a little naughty devil :)) You'll know what I mean once you reach the part...  
> Enjoy!

**The third time Jaime and Brienne played scrabble**

The day before her 23rd birthday Brienne had enough of solitary confinement (which started a few days ago when she saw Jaime with Cersei Baratheon's tongue down his throat) and did what she wanted to do. Well, what _they_ wanted to do. For months now Brienne wanted to visit the newly opened museum of arts and history. She had been babbling about it on and on, so Jaime promised they could go together. Gods, forbid she'd try bringing Marge or Sansa. All they cared for were department stores full of clothes. Anyway, she was looking forward to the trip even if she was going alone. Brienne felt a twinge of guilt for leaving Jaime out, but this was _her_ thing. He probably wouldn't even care. Plus she needed time away from the campus. Gossip in KLU spread as fast as wildfire, so the whole student body knew the golden lion of Casterly Rock and Pia had called it quits a few months ago. Ladies were counting their blessings while gentlemen were grinding their teeth because he'd be big competition. To all the women's deep disappointed Jaime's eye caught the new transfer—Cersei Baratheon. Brienne had to admit—love _was_ blind, because there was no other explanation as to why he'd date her. Compared to the sweet, innocent, angelic Pia his latest girlfriend was devil incarnate. Cersei was rude, obnoxious, eyed Brienne with disdain and carried herself as though she was royalty. _But_ she was incredibly beautiful and pretty things always caught Jaime's eye. _Unlike me_ she thought. Ugh she had to stop doing that. This crush thing hadn't just reached the limit it completely crossed it. They were great friends and that's all they'd ever be. But did he _have_ to date Cersei? It's not like she wanted him to be unhappy, but that woman was getting on her last nerve. They've been seeing each other for less than a week but she already had managed to weasel her way into the time that was supposed to be _Brienne's._ Movie night? She was there. Hanging out or studying? She was there. And once Jaime was out of ear shot the subtle insulting jabs would come. If she didn't know better Brienne would think Cersei perceived her as a threat of some sort. It's not like she was his only female friend, Sansa and Margaery didn't receive as much attention. Although, that might've had something to do with the fact they gave as good as they got while Brienne brushed off the comments thrown her way with an air of dignity. Brienne was too nice to burst Jaime's perfect image of Cersei so she kept her mouth shut. It's what you did for the people you loved, you indulged them even if they were living with rose tinted glasses on. _And when I say love I mean in a totally platonic way_ she reassured herself. Deep down she knew she was in denial about _being_ in denial and one day she'd have to face the fact she had fallen in love.

But that day wasn't today.

The museum was packed with mostly families who dragged their small children along, and Brienne realized she shouldn't have come on a Saturday. She liked her peace and quite. Brienne spent most of her time in the Eternal Life of Ancient Westeros portion of the building. It was truly amazing to see the artifacts from thousands of years ago. The history nerd in her was all kinds of excited as she roamed the wide corridors, even though Brienne was alone and every so many minutes, no matter how many times she told herself to stop, she thought about how Jaime would have loved this place. Brienne stopped in front of a display of pottery. Thinking about him spending his weekend with Cersei so did _not_ help to keep her thoughts at bay. It made all of this worse. She turned, spying a teenage couple more interested in the feel of each other's mouths than all the wonder of history laid out before them.

  
A pang hit her chest. She wondered if she could ever have that...

**~*~*~*~*~**

Soon after Brienne got home she decided to take a nap. She knew she wouldn't be getting much sleep tomorrow. Her friends were planning something for her birthday she knew that without a doubt. And no Brienne wasn't overly confident to think so, it's just that Margaery and Sansa had the worst poker faces ever and when they tried to be subtle...well it didn't work. Brienne was peacefully lounging around in her bed until she heard multiple knocks. She was going to deck whoever was banging on her door at this late hour. Wow, she was starting to sound like an old grandma. She checked the clock— it was only 8 PM. The knocking only intensified.

She was so annoyed someone decided to intrude on her 'me' time she didn't bother to look who it was before opening the door. "Stop banging!!" Brienne was met with a pair of green eyes.

"Happy birthday!!" Before she knew what was going on Jaime swept her up in a light hug before striding into her dorm and shutting the door behind him.

"My birthday is tomorrow, idiot. What are you doing here? Isn't it _date night_ with Cersei?" Brienne assured herself that the twitch in her left eye was from the lack of sleep and not from mentioning the devil's name.

"Now that's no way to call the guy who comes bearing birthday gifts." He admonished her.

Brienne checked him out from head to toe. "You have no gifts."

"Is my lovely presence not enough?" Jaime deigned to look shocked. "In all seriousness I've come early because father summoned me and Tyrion back home for a few days, so we'll be absent from your super secret birthday party that you _totally_ know nothing about."

Brienne couldn't help but snort at that. "Still, you could've just called me tomorrow. Cersei must have freaked when you canceled."

Jaime did wince at that. She must've been pissed. "She'll live." His grin was mischievous. "Stay right where you are and close your eyes."

"Why do I have to close my eyes?"  
  
"It's a surprise."

"Your surprises are just as scary as your ideas." She groaned.

"My ideas _and_ my surprises are brilliant."

"Remember when you thought it would be a good idea to—"  
  
"Close your eyes, Wench."  
  
Still mumbling under her breath she dutifully closed her eyes. Brienne heard him walk out and then a couple of moments later he reentered her dorm. "Don't peek."  
  
Not peeking was like putting a slice of cake in front of her along with a fork and telling her not to eat it. Brienne shifted her weight. 

"Jaime..."  
  
"A couple more seconds." He said, and Brienne heard something heavy roll inside.  
  
What the? More than curious, it was a struggle for her to not open her eyes. She honestly had no idea what he was up to and with Jaime, anything was possible.

"You can open your eyes now. Happy birthday, Wench." Jaime's lips brushed her cheek, sending shivers across her skin. See, this is why she had a crush on him. He did shit like this. "Or you can stand there with your eyes closed. I like that, too."  
  
She opened her eyes ready for an eye roll but her jaw hit the floor. "Oh my Gods..."  
  
Before her, sitting on a stand, in a fifty gallon terrarium completely decked out with sand and rock bedding, leafy foliage and a hidey-hole, was a tortoise almost the size of her hand. And he wasn't alone. Another peaked his head looking around through the glass  
  
He chuckled. "You like?"  
  
"Did you just get me two turtles?" Stunned, Brienne placed her hands on the glass. The little guys inside pulled their heads back.

"Well, you're always going on and on how turtles are your favourite mammals ever so...and no I didn't get you two turtles. One is mine."

Brienne laughed, blinking back tears. "You shouldn't have done all of this, Jaime. This is...too much."  
  
"It's not that much and everyone needs a pet turtle." He grinned. "That's why I got myself one too."

Brienne was feeling giddy now. She was a proud owner of a tortoise. "Is it a boy and a girl?"  
  
"Supposedly you can tell by the shape of their shell, but hell if I know."  
  
She grinned. "Well, boy or girl, I'm going to name mine Leonardo."  
  
Jaime tipped his head back and laughed. "Perfect. I'm naming mine Raphael then."  
  
"We just need two more."  
  
"So true."

**~*~*~*~*~**

Jaime and Brienne were sprawled on her couch, a board full of letters that made up words separating them.

"Quixotic? What the fuck does that even mean?" Jaime grumbled while jotting down 76 points for Brienne.

"It's definitely better than a 'flapjack' " She snickered unsure where did he even come up with that.

"So, I was thinking once I get back from Lannisport we can finally go visit that museum you like so much." Jaime was focused on his letters, trying to come up with a good word.

Brienne blinked. "Oh. I've actually already went."

"When?!"

"Today. I would have asked you, but Saturdays are Cersei time, and you probably would've been bored anyway." She cleared her throat.

"Probably..." Jaime trailed off, Brienne could've sworn he looked hurt.

After a few rounds Jaime was in the lead again. It was getting late and Brienne's eyelids started to fall. Each time she blinked, her eyes seemed to take longer to reopen. Jaime shifted beside her, moving the board game onto the coffee table. Brienne sunk further into the couch, closer to him. Her side rested against his, and she thought she should scoot away, but he was warm, she was comfortable and feeling way too lazy to put the effort into it. Besides, he didn't seem to mind. If so, wouldn't he have moved away or pushed her off?

**~*~*~*~*~**

Brienne grew quiet, and Jaime checked out the time on the wall clock. It was well after ten, and he expected her to kick his ass out any minute now, but when he shifted on the couch, throwing his right arm along the back, the entire left side of her body ended up against his. Jaime froze as he waited for her to squirm away, keeping the mandatory two feet of personal space between them.

But she didn't.

Holy shit, she didn't.

He glanced at her, forcing his breathing to remain steady. Over the next few minutes, every cell in his body became aware of her weight, her warmth and her deep, even breaths. Jaime's heart skipped a beat when her head came down on the spot just below his shoulder. Was she asleep?

"Brienne?"

When there was no answer, he determined that she had, in fact, fallen asleep on him. There was a swelling in Jaime's chest, bigger and tighter than the knot that seemed to form whenever he was around her. And the strangest damn thing happened as he stared down at her. Parts of his body hardened at her closeness, but Jaime's insides softened like butter left out in the sun. Gods, he shouldn't have angered Cersei. He had needs to take care of. And the poor wench was on the receiving end right now. Carefully, so that he didn't wake her, Jaime brought his arm off the back of the couch and gently guided her down so that her head rested on his thigh. And something not too far north enlarged...

Perhaps that wasn't the smartest idea, because it was too tempting to have her this close, but this... well, it felt right in a way that it had never felt with any other girl. _She is not any other girl. She's Brienne. Your friend._ _Just a friend._ He scolded himself. Gods, if she ever found out he's had the most impure thoughts about her she'd strangle him. Jaime's chest lurched as his Wench snuggled in, folding her hands together under her chin. He watched her for a moment, soaking up her face in. When they met he thought her ugly...Now? Everyday he found something he liked more than before. Her sapphire blue eyes, those delicious freckles that covered her from head to toe, her miles long legs. Even her crooked nose had an endearing quality to it.

Before Jaime could stop himself he lowered his hand, his breath caught as he touched the elegant curve of her shoulder. Brienne murmured in her sleep and wiggled a bit, but she didn't wake up. It definitely wasn't cool to keep touching her, but Jaime dragged his fingertips down her arm, relishing in the feel of her. Stopping at the hem of her shirt, his fingers grazed her silky skin all the way up to her cheek. Tipping his head back against the couch, Jaime closed his eyes and swallowed hard as he rested his hand on the flare of her hip. He could probably count on two fingers how many times he spent an evening with a girl curled up against him and asleep, when he was just content to be there with her. Part of Jaime's brain was telling him there was a word for this, as crazy as that word sounded and felt, so he ignored that part. 

He was with Cersei. He was falling for Cersei.

Time passed, and Jaime didn't sleep, not really. He was stuck in the weird in-between phase, half awake, half not there. But he _knew_ the moment she woke up. Brienne's body stiffened and she dragged in a deep breath. Several moments passed and she didn't move or speak. Jaime would've cut off his hand to know what she was thinking. The wench slowly rolled onto her back, surprising him and leaving no time to react. His hand slipped from her hip and landed on her lower belly, fingers reaching the top of her sweatpants. By the Seven...Jaime knew he should've pulled his hand away, but he didn't. 

He decided to have some fun with it. It was a long time since he's seen Brienne blush...

**~*~*~*~*~**

Brienne must've drifted off during their scrabble match, because when she opened her eyes, it seemed like the room was in a horizontal position. She was slow to realize that she had and—oh, by the seven—how did she end up here? Brienne was curled up on her side and her head was resting in Jaime's lap. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart stuttered and her eyes widened. There was a slight weight on her hip, the feel and the shape of a hand—Jaime's hand. Was he asleep? Oh gods, she had no idea how this happened. Those treacherous limbs of hers... Had she done this in her sleep and now poor Jaime was stuck here because she was sleeping on him?

Brienne had two options at this point. She could roll off the couch and make a mad dash for her bedroom or she could actually act like an adult and see if he was awake. Surprisingly, she sided with the whole acting like an adult part and slowly rolled onto her back. And that was a horrifically bad move, because the hand on her hip moved when she did and was now resting against her lower stomach.

By the Seven...

Jaime's hand rested below her belly button, spanning southward and his fingers reached the waistband on her sweatpants. It was close, really close to somewhat uncharted territories. A ball of ice formed in her chest, but lower, much lower, something else entirely was happening. Sharp tingles shot from her belly and spread below in a warm wave of shivers. How was it possible to feel so cold and hot at the same time?

Jaime's thumb moved, and Brienne bit down on her lip. It had to be an accident or some idle movement in his sleep. Then his thumb moved again, but this time in a slow, lazy circle under her belly button. Oh shit. Brienne's pulse kicked up and that warmth increased. His thumb kept moving, at least for a half a minute, until she couldn't take it any longer. Parts of her body were aching in a way that was entirely unfair and unfamiliar, and that shouldn't be happening. One did not feel things like this for a friend. Brienne drew in a deep breath, but it did nothing to relax her muscles or to ease the tension building deep inside her. And she knew if she looked down, her nipples would be straining against the thin shirt she wore. Brienne tipped her head back and looked up at Jaime. His head was turned to the side, away from her, and back against the cushion. A faint shadow appeared on the strong line of his jaw. 

And there was a slight smirk on his face. 

Son of a bitch.

"Jaime!" She was probably as red as a tomato.  
  
One eye opened. "Brienne?"  
  
"You're not asleep."  
  
"You were." He lifted his head, turning it side to side, working out a kink. "And I _was_ asleep."  
  
His hand was still on Brienne's lower stomach, incredibly heavy. Part of her wanted to tell him to get his paws off her. This was totally inappropriate, but that's not what came out of her mouth. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you."  
  
"I'm not."  
  
Wetting her chapped lips nervously, Brienne had no idea what to say to that so she went with a "What time is it?"  
  
Jaime's gaze had dropped to her mouth and her entire body tensed in a way that wasn't unpleasant at all. "After midnight." he responded.  
  
Brienne's heart was pounding. "You didn't even look at the clock."  
  
"I just know these kinds of things."  
  
"Really?"  
  
His simply nodded. "Yes."  
  
"That's a remarkable talent." She rolled her eyes. "What time are you leaving in the morning?"  
  
"Are you going to miss me, Wench?"  
  
Brienne screwed up her flushed face. "It will be like a vacation for me." 

He chuckled. "That was entirely mean."  
  
"Wasn't it?"

Brienne moved to an upright position, putting some much needed distance between them. The bickering was back and the tension had been broken. Brienne's face was a testament to that because she no longer looked like she had run a marathon.  
  
"But I know you're lying."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yep." He tilted his head to the side. "I'll miss you."

Brienne stifled a laugh. "Don't tell Cersei that. She's gonna make me disappear under dubious circumstances."

"She's not that bad." Jaime sighed.

"Uh-huh." Avoiding Jaime's eyes Brienne glanced at the clock. She saw it was past two in the morning. "Holy crap, you suck at your special ability at telling the time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems like Jaime is changing his girlfriends faster than socks lmao I wonder what he's looking for? Hmmm   
> Once I came up with the idea of a birthday turtle I knew they had to name them after teenage mutant ninja turtles!!  
> Also for these two board games lead to lots and lots of touching ;) Subconscious or not...  
> Discuss!  
> See you next time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, but I'm a hoe for time jumps. I guess that's my only excuse for making ya'll suffer.

**The fourth time Jaime and Brienne played scrabble**

It was surreal to think that not long ago Brienne's whole life was in KLU. Upon graduation she had moved up North to Winterfell and now 1 year later she was already on fast track to becoming a senior editor in a publishing house Bolton & Sons. It was difficult to leave some of her friends who still had school left and it was difficult to part with the ones who graduated with her, but stayed behind in the South or moved to another corner of Westeros. She graduated as a valedictorian and got a dream job offer in publishing even before she had received her diploma. Opportunities like that were hard to come by so, of course, all of her friends were supportive of the move. But moving North hadn't exactly gone the way Brienne thought it would. Yes she had a dream job position, but her boss Roose Bolton...by the seven he was a piece of work. Although, compared to his trust fund baby Ramsay he was quite pleasant. That's what she's heard of at least. She hadn't had the displeasure of working with Ramsay...yet. It was a good thing Brienne was a natural born workaholic because she had way more to do than a junior editor should even though the pay was shit. The only reason she stayed was because she had already made a name for herself and she didn't want to lose all her contacts, besides she didn't want to leave her clients in Ramsay's claws. So, at times it was hard to stay in touch with her father and all of her friends, but Brienne tried to always make time for the important stuff. And Arya's graduation was on the top of her list. 

So now she was wandering through her old college stomping grounds, reminiscing about the good ole days as her friend was about to receive her hard earned diploma. Brienne had a few hours before the newly weds Sansa and Theon arrived so she decided to attend an exhibit opening near the Campus. One of her favourite artists was finally showing off her work in King's Landing. Brienne hadn't seen Sansa and her husband since their wedding 5 months ago. They already were expecting their first child together and Brienne couldn't wait to meet her nephew or niece and also spoil them rotten once Sansa came back to visit her family in Winterfell. As far as Brienne knew the whole group which included Pod, Margaery, Gendry, Tyrion, Bronn and Jaime were also supposed to make an appearance. It was like a small reunion. She was anxious to see Jaime after all this time. Sure, in her last 2 years of university they became close friends and maybe there could have been something more to it, but they just kept missing each other. When Brienne was single Jaime was dating Pia or Cersei. When Jaime was single Brienne was seeing Tormund. Each of them thinking the other could only ever see them as a friend. She heard things didn't exactly work out for him and Cersei Baratheon if the broken engagement was anything to go by. She might've done a little victory dance when Sansa called to gossip. Brienne wasn't trying to be insensitive, but she was glad Jaime finally realized his fiancée was a peace of work who had been cheating on him with his own cousin, nonetheless. She was still hurting for him, even though after moving North Brienne and Jaime didn't stay in touch much( sticking to obligatory birthday messages and friend gatherings). She wanted to blame Cersei for digging her claws into him more, but truth to be told she also pulled back. Plus the distance did them no favours. Brienne tried to focus on her relationship with Tormund, she truly wanted things to work. And that meant keeping distance from the guy she was not so subtly pining over. After getting his master's Jaime stayed in King's Landing finally earning that PhD he always dreamed of and from what Brienne's heard through the grapevine (grapevine being her girlfriends) recently he was filling in for one of the professors here in KLU even though a permanent Classics professor spot hasn't opened up yet. His dream was always to become a professor and teach, so Brienne couldn't have been happier for him. That's all she knew about his life for the past year. Sansa and Margaery made sure to gossip plenty, but Brienne learned to tune any mention of him out. It was easier that way. Not that Brienne was around much, she was so dedicated to her job she barely had time for anything else. That's why her and Tormund didn't work out. She was perfectly aware he deserved more than what she was willing to give him at the time so she they parted as good friends.

Brienne was enjoying the exhibit. She always loved Maria Kreyn's work. As she was deeply contemplating the meaning behind one of her favourite pieces she heard a familiar voice.

"As I live and breathe, Wench, is that you?" Brienne quickly turned around only to be greeted by Jaime Lannister's dazzling smile.

"You haven't aged a day." Jaime tried again when she still stayed silent.

"Oh, please you saw me at Sansa's wedding don't be overdramatic, Jaime." She rolled her eyes.

The banter they both shared never really went away, even after the long time apart. Brienne wouldn't have it any other way truth to be told.

"Your stay was so short I wasn't even sure you were there." He pointed out and Brienne didn't miss the very little, but subtle jab at her.

But what could she say, really? Yes she stayed only for the ceremony and she was late to it. Roose Bolton was driving her crazy that week, what was she supposed to do? If she asked for a day off she would've been fired. That's how unhinged he was. Thank the gods Sansa and Theon decided to have the wedding in Winterfell and not the Iron Islands or she might've not even made it.

"Well, not all of us can do it all, Mr.Perfect. Sacrifices needed to be made. And I heard I didn't miss much at the reception. Tyrion and Bronn getting shitfaced and swimming in the fountain was something I could miss out on." She retorted before turning away to stare at the painting.

"It wasn't half as fun to wrangle the drunks without you, Wench!" She heard Jaime's laughter filled voice behind her.

Gods, she had missed his laugh.

"Ah, yes the good old times when we were babysitting." She wanted to appear sarcastic, but truth to be told she missed those simpler days too.

Jaime joined her side. "Beautiful isn't it?"

"It is." Brienne sounded in awe of the peace of art in front of them. "Is this her only peace in the collection? I saw her solo show in Winterfell, but the exhibit has changed."

A small, secret smile appeared on Jaime's face. "There is another piece, but from what I heard it arrived too late for the opening. A recent work. On loan from a private collection. I think it's my favourite of hers."

"How is it a favourite if it hasn't been displayed yet?" Suddenly it dawned on her. " It's on loan from _your_ private collection, isn't it?" Of course, he'd buy her favourite artist's work which was worth millions. 

Tyrion was right Lannisters _did_ shit gold.

He nodded, clearly feeling smug. "Now you're just torturing me. Since when are you interested in art?"

Jaime wouldn't meet her eyes. "I've acquired taste for it." His voice was barely above a whisper, his emerald eyes gleaming in the dark lighting. "Would you like to see it?"

Brienne was sure she would have to pick up her jaw from the floor. "See in these rare moments I envy the Lannister name. Anything you want you get." 

"Not everything..." He murmured.

She continued grumbling as Jaime lead her out of the gallery to find the hostess who would apparently just let her see her idol's work up close and personal because she had Jaime, who was the owner of the said work, by her side.

**~*~*~*~*~**

For a moment it felt like Brienne couldn't breathe. The piece was exquisite. Every line, every paintbrush stroke. It didn't even feel like she was standing in front of a painting. It's like the art had a soul of it's own. The emotions the artist managed to display with the 2 lovers were otherworldly. The woman's eyes were so full of sorrow and pain... And the man? He was hiding, but the message was clear. Her hands itched to touch the canvas, but even with the present company she wasn't allowed to fondle multi-million dollar art work.

"She seems so sad to me." Brienne whispered still unable to let her eyes wander anywhere else.

"She's in love." Jaime stated.

Brienne's eyebrows furrowed. She finally tore her gaze from the painting, focusing on Jaime's profile. "Why is that sad?"

A humorless smile graced his delicate lips. "Because sometimes it doesn't last."

"Well, he doesn't seem to have any doubts."

"He's not showing you his eyes. Eyes always betray." 

They weren't staring at the painting anymore. Emerald green met sapphire blue and it was like time stopped. Was Jaime right? Could eyes betray? If they could he would've known long ago that she... _Stop it_ she thought. Brienne buried those feelings long ago.

"Just because it doesn't last doesn't mean it isn't love." She murmured gently, her voice full of regret.

Jaime's eyes never wavered from hers. "So you like it, I take it?"

She focused on the painting again. "I love it! Do you?" It probably was a silly question. If he hated it he wouldn't have spent ungodly amounts of money on it. Though, in Brienne's mind every cent was worth it. The work was just exquisite.

His only answer was a slight nod. "I know _exactly_ how he feels."

Soon after they heard voices outside the door. Brienne cleared her throat, trying to break the heavy silence. "We should head out."

**~*~*~*~*~**

"I'm so proud of you, Arya!! You're gonna achieve great things with your archaeology degree." Sansa exclaimed as the whole group held their glasses up in a toast.

They all decided to have a little get together, because everyone would be leaving tomorrow to resume their daily routines.

"Thanks, sis! I can't wait to travel all around Westeros." She looked at Gendry with eyes full of love. "And I couldn't be more lucky you'll be joining me, babe."

"You guys are so sweet it's disgusting." Margaery cooed as she sipped her champagne.

"We will miss you, of course, but you guys better not become Brienne 2.0 and make sure to visit us plenty." Podrick and Margaery shared a look.

"Hey! I visit... _ocasionally_." Brienne was sure her friends were tying to guilt trip her...and it was working. She should make more time for the most important people in her life. Maybe she should apply to the Tully publishing house? She knew the Stark matriarch Catelyn was a silent partner in her family's business even though she herself was a dean at Winterfell University.

"We will, Marge don't worry and of course Sansa and Theon's little munchkin will be great at guilt tripping her aunts and uncles to visit." Arya said and everyone around the table laughed.

"As fun as this evening has been our flight is early tomorrow. So we will call it a night." Theon announced as she and Sansa hugged Arya wishing her all the best.

"Yeah we probably should go too, I haven't been in King's Landing for ages and the night clubs are calling my name. Congrats again Arya." Margaery stood up, followed by Tyrion and Bronn. Podrick seemed to wander off somewhere too.

Arya and Gendry left to join the Starks for a more family orientated evening. 

"Aaand then there were two." Brienne stated the obvious. She was still feeling all sorts of things from their little art viewing trip.

"You tired?" He asked as nonchalantly as possible.

"No, not really." Brienne replied as she glanced at him through her lashes.

Jaime's emerald eyes had that infamous glint to them, especially in the evening moonlight. "You're thinking what I'm thinking, Wench?"

Brienne's eyes were shining with mischief. "Wanna take me back to your room?"

**~*~*~*~*~**

If it was any other woman you would assume taking back someone to their room stood for a hook up, but it was Brienne so there was no surprise when she ended up picking up scrabble on her way to Jaime's suite. She didn't realize how much she had missed just being silly with him until they were both sprawled on his king size bed arguing over their ridiculous choice of words. Jaime had also missed her terribly, more than one of his nights were spent thinking about her ivory skin, or her sapphire blue eyes or the way her face lit up when he used to bring her favourite sweets when she was buried in her studies. All of it seemed so long ago and yet as they were sitting here together it seemed just like yesterday. Jaime was pulled out of his thoughts when Brienne's laughter reached his ears.

"Damn, you still got it. How many points is squeegee?"

"You don't even wanna know." Jaime answered before writing his points down.

"Noo!! How can _I_ always lose to _you_??" She overdramatically banged her head on the bed.

Jaime's soothing voice made her lift her head. "You seem good."

"Yeah, I am. My career is kicking off and after a year in Winterfell I am _finally_ getting used to the cold." She joked before inspecting the letters she had left.

Jaime smiled. "And how's Leo doing? I think Raph is still pissed we separated them."

"Don't remind me." Brienne hid her face in her hands. "I felt so bad for Leonardo I got him a friend—Michelangelo is from the North, but they seem to be getting along."

Jaime burst out laughing. "No way! So did I. Mine's Donatello."

"We finally have a set." She joked before putting her word on the board.

"Q A T ?" Jaime's eyebrows drew together as he spelled the weird word.

"It's the leaves of a shrub that you chew like tobacco." She stated matter of factly.

"Oh, I see you're still reading the dictionary for fun." He teased her before yawning loudly.

"Hey, Lannister don't you dare bail on me. I actually wanna win for a change."

A sleepy grin was sprawled on Jaime's face. "Sorry. Got up early today. I've been grading papers for 2 days straight."

"I'll go get us some coffee, okay?"

"Sure, just make sure you put loads of-"

"-sugar. I know, Jaime. I remember." Brienne smiled fondly for a brief second before leaving the room.

**~*~*~*~*~**

When Brienne came back to the suite to her surprise Jaime was already asleep. His curled up form on the bed seemed so peaceful she didn't dare to wake him. She put the coffee on his bedside table before carefully sitting on the edge of the bed. Brienne wasn't sure why a little smile crept on her lips as she looked at Jaime's face. Tonight was nice, she missed nights like this with him. There were many when they would pass out before finishing whatever they were playing. Many more mornings were they woke up tangled in each other's arms like that first time. They'd just shrug it off, though. They couldn't very well control themselves while asleep. For some reason Brienne felt like crying. Nostalgia that's what it was. It had to be. A tear slipped down her cheek as she put one last word on the board before standing up and leaving Jaime's room. 

She really thought she had gotten over him. And yet the moment Brienne saw him again all of those smothered feelings came rushing back with a vengeance...

**~*~*~*~*~**

Brienne was waiting at her hotel lobby for Podrick, they had about two hours until their flight and last night he seemed to be buzzing with excitement. Podrick was finally going to visit the North, staying with her for a few weeks before going back to work. She was glad to have him, but she couldn't understand why someone would choose Winterfell as a vacation destination. It was just so bloody cold. As she was about to text him she heard Jaime's voice.

"Taking off already?"

"Oh, yeah just waiting for Pod to get his things." Brienne smiled awkwardly.

"Weren't planning on saying goodbye?" Jaime seemed hurt.

"You slept through brunch and I just didn't want to disturb you." She tried to make an excuse. Brienne wasn't sure why she always wanted to run for the hills where Jaime Lannister was concerned.

"Huh. What are you doing on Saturday?" Her pale eyebrows shot up, she wasn't sure why he was asking.

"Probably just showing Pod around the city."

"Want some company?" Jaime asked with a genuine smile that lit up his handsome face.

"You live in King's Landing." Brienne stated with an incredulous laugh.

"You don't say..." A roll of eyes followed that statement.

"Seriously, Jaime-"

"I got a call from Catelyn Stark a month or so ago. She offered me a teaching position at Winterfell University. Apparently their Classics professor retired, so it's a perfect fit."

"That's everything you ever dreamed of!!" A stupid smile appeared on Brienne's face. 

She was so happy for him, it didn't really register what this meant. Jaime was going to teach in WU. That meant he was going to move. To Winterfell. Where she lived. She would have to share a city with him. She might run into him while he was on dates or some other shit she didn't particularly want to see...

"I know, Wench. So how about you show Pod _and_ me around. It seems I'm moving North. Gods, my balls better not freeze off."

Brienne couldn't help but snort. "Good luck with that. I've been living there for a while and I still can't stand the temperature. With the southern clothes you wear you're definitely freezing something off."

Jaime cleared his throat before changing the subject. "I suppose we'll be seeing more of each other, then."

"I suppose so." She wasn't particularly looking forward to running into him...

"By the way I wanted to congratulate you." One of Jaime's sneaky smirks appeared. Brienne seemed quite confused so he had to elaborate. "On finally winning the game."

"We never finished it." She was avoiding his eyes, frantically scanning the lobby for Pod. Why was he always late?!

"You did. While I was passed out. I didn't know the word though..."

"Oh, I don't even remember which word I put down..." Brienne trailed off, looking around and literally trying to conjure up Pod.

" _Limerence_ , was it? I looked it up." Her eyes met Jaime's and she could see so many emotions swirling in them it made her head spin.

"You did?" Barely a whisper escaped her lips.

" 'A kind of unrequited love'? " Jaime phrased it as a question, but they both knew it was a statement.

"Fuck." For someone who always had something eloquent to say this was a step down for Brienne.

"That's my thoughts exactly, Wench."

Before Brienne could muster the will to ask what he meant Jaime's lips crashed into hers. There wasn't a moment of hesitation. His mouth was on hers, and Brienne stopped breathing. Jaime shuddered and there was a sound from the back of his throat, half growl, half moan. Little shivers of pleasure and panic shot through Brienne as he deepened the kiss, parting her lips. _Gods, they were in a hotel lobby where anyone could see-_ she stopped thinking when his tongue slipped between her lips. She pushed off the lobby counter, sealing the tiny space between them, pressing against him, running her fingers through his golden hair. It was soft, silky. Brienne sparked alive, her heart swelled to the point of near bursting. The rush of sensations crawling across her body was maddening. Scary. Thrilling. She never thought it possible for this to happen. Jaime's hands found their way to her hips, pulling her even closer if that was possible. They were devouring one another, drowning in each other. They'd been building up to this for years, and gods was it worth the wait.

"I wanted to do that for a while now." Jaime murmured against her swollen lips. 

And then he was kissing her again. The deep kind of kisses that left little room for thought. There was only feeling and wanting. Their kisses slowed, becoming tender and infinitely more. It was like they were getting to know each other on an intimate level. Brienne was breathless and dazed, unprepared for all of this, but her body ached for more than just kisses and touching - for more of him. And Jaime knew that, too. It was easy to get lost in each other, lost in this unspoken connection between them. The world - the universe - ceased to exist.  
  
And then the spell was broken once they heard a throat clearing. Followed by a boisterous laughter. Pod and Bronn had arrived.

Jaime stilled, his breath coming out in rough gasps as he pulled back, turning his head to the intruders. Brienne's eyes opened slowly, dazed. She took a deep breath. An eternity seemed to pass as they stared at their friends, Brienne's eyes wide, full of embarrassment to be caught in this kind of situation. Jaime, however, seemed to be unabashed by their very public display of affection, a satisfied smirk on his swollen lips.

"Tyrion and Margaery will be so glad we had a poll going for how long it would take for you two to hook up." Bronn slapped Podrick on the back, still trying to stifle his laughter.

"A poll?" The pair exclaimed.

"Yeah. Those lucky bastards won. I had my money on Jaime's birthday. Couldn't hold out for a few more months, could ya?" Bronn admonished them all in good fun.

"Gods, only _our_ friends would do something like that." Brienne buried her head into Jaime's shoulder.

**~*~*~*~*~**

Podrick and Brienne were about to board when her phone beeped.

 **Jaime:** _I feel like we should move in already._

 **Brienne:** _Gods, don't be ridiculous -_-_

 **Jaime:** _You're living in Winterfell. I'm moving to Winterfell. It's only fair we commute. Think of my financial stability, Wench._

 **Brienne:** _I'm sure you'll manage with that multi-million dollar trust fund *eye roll*_

 **Jaime:** _Well, what about the children? It's not good for them to live in separate households._

 **Brienne:** _What children? Are you on crack, is that it?_

 **Jaime:** _What children? Wow. Donatello, Raphael, Leonardo and Michelangelo would be so hurt right now..._

 **Brienne** **:** _No comment, Jaime, no comment._

**Jaime:** _I'll wear you down you'll see. See you on Saturday, Brienne ❤_

 **Brienne:** _See you :)_

Brienne was smiling like an idiot, but she didn't care.

"It's about damn time, Jaime grew a pair and swept you off your feet." Pod couldn't keep quiet after seeing his friend and mentor so incredibly happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAD to include the painting because I'm just so head over heels in love with this piece. And I was pretty sure my description of it would be shit, so now you guys get to see it for yourselves lol  
> And if I didn't making it obvious the only reason Jaime bought it is because he knew Brienne would love it.  
> If anyone wants they should check out other Maria Kreyn's works. This particular one is called "Alone together".  
> One last installment left, my precious readers. Hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this story seems promising.  
> I'd appreciate feedback. I thrive off kudos & comments :)  
> Small little note: Take notice of the title of the story.  
> Redamancy - (n) a love returned in full; the act of loving the one who loves you.  
> Just a small little tidbit to consider and look forward to chapter 4 because the antonym of this word is gonna be the catalyst to making Jaime and Brienne go from friends to more ;)  
> I'll stop spoiling the story now lol


End file.
